Genealogy research, Internet research and genealogy tourism

by Frazier, Richard A.

Abstract (Summary)

Frazier
Richard
A
(Writer)
(Last name)
(First)
(Initial)
(Title)
Genealogy Research, Internet Research, and Genealogy Tourism
Hospitality and Tourism
Dr. Charles Metelka
May 2001
(Graduate Major)
(Research Advisor)
(Month/Year)
(No. of Pages)
American Psychological Association
(Name of Style Manual Used in this Study)
Genealogy is listed as one of the top hobbies in the United States and
possibly the world. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints requires its
members to complete their genealogy and complete temple work for their
ancestors. People work on genealogy to find their origin. As such, genealogy
may in fact be a form of tourism as people work and travel to find their ancestors.
At the same time it is important to recognize that the Internet has changed
the way genealogists conduct their research. The Internet has allowed people to
more easily communicate with other genealogists around the country and the
world in their search for information.
This paper defines genealogists, how they use the Internet, the Internet’s
affect on the quantity or quality of their travel and research. This paper will
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develop a characteristic profile of genealogists that use one or more of the 174 or
so Internet e-mail subscription lists specific to Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The educational and income level for women genealogists was less then
male genealogist. However, 78 percent of the genealogist are women, and tend to
be younger than their male counterparts. It was also discovered that the number
of genealogy trips and the distance people are willing to travel for genealogy
research has been increasing. The Internet has also enhanced genealogy research
and increased genealogical travel. The Internet was also shown to be a viable
means to conduct tourism and possible other forms of research. The
demographics and characteristics of genealogists is not the same as the general
population in terms of Internet usage, places visited, and gender comparisons. It
was interesting to note that only 17 percent of the respondents have been to the
world’s largest repository of genealogy data, Salt Lake City, Utah.
The results of the study provide ample evidence that additional research is
required to classify and identify in greater detail the travel habits and patterns of
genealogist. Additionally, the study has indicated a need to look at genealogy
tourism and the impact of genealogy tourism is part of other forms of tourism,
such as heritage, cultural, etc. However, the study has shown that genealogy
tourism has an incredible marketing potential that needs to be examined in detail.
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